Pick, Prediction, & Preview:

Navy Midshipmen vs Cincinnati Bearcats

The Navy Midshipmen will travel to Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, to battle the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm EST. The Midshipmen are coming off a 44-22 home loss, their 5th straight, versus the undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish last Saturday as their rushing attack put up 292 yards, however, they allowed the Irish 254 yards on the ground along with 330 yards by Ian Book in the win. The Bearcats are coming off a 26-20 road win over the SMU Mustangs as James Wiggins ran back an 88-yard interception of Ben Hicks in overtime to seal the win for Cincy, thus atoning for a 24-17 loss to Temple the week prior. Navy took the victory in the last meeting amongst these teams on September 23, 2017 as they won by a 42-32 score as Navy covered as 8.5 home favorites.

Navy Midshipmen's Latest Performance :

The Midshipmen were shut out in the first half versus a solid defensive front for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last Saturday while never threatening the road team in the contest as Ian Book threw for 330 yards along with two TD’s and an interception while its rushing attack punished the 85th ranked rush defense for the Midshipmen in racking up 254 yards on the ground. Navy did not help itself with two turnovers in the loss, however, the Irish simply were the better team on this day as the Midshipmen allowed their opponents 30 points or more in four of their last five games.

On the other hand, its offense, which is averaging 28 points per game this year, is 0-3 on the road this year while also being 0-3 ATS. As stated, with the loss of QB Malcolm Perry to a leg injury, the triple option attack for Navy has really sputtered as they have lost five straight games. Unfortunately, they may continue to struggle as Cincy’s defense is ranked 10th in the country in stopping the run.

Cincinnati Bearcats's Latest Performance :

QB Desmond Ridder (352 yds, 2 TD’s, 2 INT’s) along with Kahlil Lewis (12 rec, 174, 2 TD’s) were instrumental in their last win versus the Mustangs on the road as they hooked up twice during the contest for huge plays. On the other hand, the rushing attack was led by Michael Warren II with 67 yards on 14 carries in the win. The defense for Cincy, however, allowed 328 passing yards for the game as Ben Hicks was stellar, however, gave up the huge pick to end the contest. And while the Bearcats have not done very well, at all, versus the spread in their last few games, with the win they certainly atoned for their last loss (their first of the season) to Temple. They have, however, covered in two of the last three games at Nippert and will certainly look to tame a triple option attack for Navy that continues to sputter in 2018.

How Navy Midshipmen & Cincinnati Bearcats Matchup.

Vegas Odds, Offshore Odds, & Odds ATS:

Navy is 1-7 ATS while the OU is 5-3

Cincinnati is 5-3 ATS while the OU is 3-5

In-Depth Analysis of each team:

This will certainly be an interesting game in that with their loss to the Owls, Temple leap-frogged the Bearcats and now sit in the second place slot within the AAC East division behind UCF while Cincy resides in third place. In all, they cannot afford another loss as they will need to hope for a slip-up by Temple while taking care of business in their future matchup with top seeded UCF on November 17th. Nonetheless, they must continue to win beginning with taking care of a Navy team that is certainly hungry for a win, yet, continues to deal with issues related to the execution of their bread and butter: The triple option offense.

Against The Spread Selection: Pick: Cincinnati bearcats -14

My reason for the pick :

Look for the Bearcats to continue rolling in this matchup as they will control the line of scrimmage versus Navy in this matchup, thus causing their dangerous offense to get off the field on third downs. Also, due to the Bearcats, ability to stop the run, they may very well cause some turnovers as well, thus adding to the probability of a win. In all, look for Cincy to jump out early on the Midshipmen in this game as their rushing attack is very potent in its own right while the rush defense for Navy stinks.

Totals Selection: Pick: Over 50

My reason for the prediction :

Keep in mind that not only is Navy’s run defense awful, but, their passing game is ranked 105th in the country in defending the pass while being 103rd in total yards allowed to opponents with 441 yards per game. With that being said, expect both areas of the Cincy offense to be solid in this matchup as they are now back on the winning track with their focus where it needs to be: Win. As stated, if they do not look ahead to their future matchup with the Knights, they will certainly win their next two games at home.

Betting trends for Navy Midshipmen:

Midshipmen are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games overall.

Midshipmen are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games on fieldturf.

Midshipmen are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.

Betting trends for Cincinnati Bearcats:

Bearcats are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.

Under is 5-1 in Bearcats last 6 games following an ATS loss.

Over is 5-1 in Bearcats last 6 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game

Falepa

A sports analyst and enthusiast, Filipa enjoys writing articles for NHL, NBA, NCAAB, and, of course, for NCAAF. In addition, he enjoys the true art of breaking down games in such as way as to locate certain trends that can impact future contests. With a willingness to research, construct, and relay information that any reader can understand, Filipa aims to provide the reader with interesting & indepth knowledge for upcoming sporting events.